MS eNews for August 11, 2014

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Moe Baron-Toaldo

MS eNews – August 11, 2013

 

Welcome to the 2014-2015 ISB MS School Year!

Welcome to all new families, and welcome back to our returning families as we look forward to another exciting year in the ISB Middle School!  We hope that you have had a wonderful holiday and are rested and ready for the upcoming start of school this coming Wednesday.

What should Middle School students expect on Wednesday morning?  All MS students should arrive by 7 a.m. and go to the central MS Quad on the second floor (follow the crowds in green shirts) where they will find our “Learning to Learn” class lists posted by grade level.  Each student needs to find her/his name on the class lists, note the name of his/her assigned “L2L” teacher and classroom, and proceed to that classroom by 7:20 a.m.  We will have teachers, administrators, and our MS Student Ambassadors pointing new students in the right direction, so don’t worry!  Students will receive a printout of their schedule of classes, assigned locker, and their student ID card in their first class, and then they will be sent on their way to find all of their classes and to meet their teachers as well as new and old friends.

We have a 4-day schedule rotation in the Middle School, and we will start on a revised Day 2 on Wednesday, then revert to a regular Day 1 on Thursday followed by a regular Day 2 on Friday, then on to the regular routine of Day 3 & 4 next Monday and Tuesday.  One change in the schedule this year is that the Flex enrichment period at the end of the day will be on a Monday-Friday schedule rather than a 4-day schedule.  This might seem a bit confusing at first, but other schools using this model have indicated that students will adapt quickly.  Each student’s schedule printout will show his/her schedule clearly, and it will also be available on PowerSchool.  The Flex period will be 5 minutes shorter from 1:25 to 2:05 in order to extend lunch by 5 minutes as well.

Once the schedule is published on Wednesday, as mentioned above it will be available on PowerSchool and we will ensure that all new students learn how to access their schedule and classes on their PowerSchool accounts.  If a student has a “hole” in his/her schedule, meaning a blank class, he/she should wait until that period to go to the office to see his/her counselor who will help assign a class…..we do not want students to miss any of their first classes in order to resolve a schedule issue involving a different class period.

If students want to request a change in schedule, they have by next Tuesday, August 19th, to make this request to their counselors.  For visual and performing arts classes, grade 8 students receive priority in scheduling, so grade 7 students may or may not get their first arts elective choices…..many will, but if a student does not, he/she can see the counselor and look to see what other classes are available.  We have many arts choices available for students, so I am certain that they will find one of interest if they do not get their first choices.  All grade 6 students will have a required arts elective wheel, with one Trimester each of Art, Drama, and Dance.

At ISB, we highly value the support and communication of our parent community.  By working together, we are certain that our students will continue their growth and development to achieve their academic and personal potential while becoming confident, caring, and creative individuals.  Middle School is a challenging time for our adolescent students, and the ISB Middle School team is here to help with the challenge, so please do not hesitate to contact our teachers, counselors, administrators and/or staff at any time and it is our intention to reply within a 24 hour period.

We’ll see you bright and early on Wednesday morning!

All the best on behalf of our Middle School team,

Tom Burgess

MS Principal

 

MS Open House

Dear Parents,

Please note on your calendars that our MS Open House will be held evening of Thursday, September 11 beginning at 6:30pm.  Apologies, due to an oversight, our upcoming MS Open House was mistakenly left off the ISB 2014-2015 Calendar.

 

 

Some Reminders for First Day of School…

Welcome all new and returning students to the Middle School!  We are excited to be seeing you all on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 13th!

A few reminders on some of our expectations:

1.  MS Uniforms and Dress Code:  Students are expected to be in school uniform every school day except on designated Alternate Dress Days.  Dress code is in effect during the school day from when first arriving to school up to 3:30pm, with the exception of sports or with special permission.

All articles of clothing (outlined below) must be purchased at the ISB Bookstore.  Uniforms must fit properly, be clean, and properly pressed with no holes, tears, frayed areas, or patches.  With prior permission by the MS Administration, wearing the National Dress of the student’s country will be acceptable.

ISB Shirt:

  • Must be a white or green ISB shirt purchased from the ISB Bookstore
  • Other articles of clothing worn under the shirt must not be visible at the sleeves or waist, or through the uniform
  • ISB uniform shirt must be worn under ISB sweaters or jackets
  • Team shirts of any kind cannot be substituted for the required school shirt unless prior approval has been given by the MS Principal or Vice-Principal

Shorts/Skorts – boys and girls:

  • Must be black or khaki in color and purchased from the ISB Bookstore, or, made by the approved ISB Tailor (please contact the ISB Head Mistress’ Office for name and address of tailor). 
  • Must fit properly (not excessively baggy or tight)
  • Must be fastened at the waist or hips
  • Must not be greater than 8cm above the knee as measured from the floor while the student is kneeling
  • Wearing PE shorts to regular classes, other than PE class, is not allowed

Skirts – girls:

  • Must be black or khaki in color and purchased from the ISB Bookstore, or, made by the approved ISB Tailor (please contact the ISB Head Mistress’ Office for name and address of tailor). 
  • Must fit properly (not excessively baggy or tight)
  • Must be fastened at the waist or hips
  • Must not be greater than 8cm above the knee as measured from the floor while the student is kneeling
  • May have up to two slits, one on each side, but each not more than 8cm in length

Pants – boys and girls:

  • Must be black or khaki in color and purchased from the ISB Bookstore, or, made by the approved ISB Tailor (please contact the ISB Head Mistress’ Office for name and address of tailor). 
  • Must fit properly (not excessively baggy or tight)
  • Must be fastened at the waist or hips
  • May not touch the floor

Footwear:

  • Sneakers, street shoes, or sandals with a back strap must be worn
  • Single plug thongs or flip flops are not permitted
  • Footwear should not be elevated more than 5cm, must be laced where appropriate and must be free of holes, rips or inappropriate markings

Accessories:  Permitted accessories include only the following and must be discrete:

  • Belt of appropriate width encircling the waist once
  • Earrings should not be distracting or present a safety hazard
  • Noiseless bracelets, neck chains that are not noisy or distracting, ankle-bracelet, and/or finger rings
  • ISB sweater or jacket purchased from the Booster Cart only
  • A watch

Not permitted accessories:

  • Tongue jewelry and other forms of piercing (with the exception of earrings)
  • Hats

PE Uniform:

  • The ISB PE uniform (including PE shorts) is to be worn in PE classes only
  • Official ISB PE T-shirt shall be worn with official ISB PE shorts
  • ISB P.E. shorts selected should be between mid-thigh and to the knees in length
  • Socks are required with running shoes or athletic footwear suitable to the activity
  • No jewelry is to be worn without the approval of the P.E. Department
  • Recommended students wear a hat in P.E. class every day and bring a water bottle to class unless told otherwise by their P.E. teacher
  • Arrival to and from school must be in full school uniform unless you have P.E. class first or last period of the day in which case P.E. uniform may be worn to/from school

2.  Bicycles and Motorized Vehicles:  Bicycles may be ridden to school and parked at the covered bicycle racks provided. Students are advised to properly lock their bicycles. Bicycles should not be ridden inside the classroom buildings and walkways, on the grass, or other areas on campus except for the service road. Only students with a valid Thai driver’s license may drive any motorized vehicle.  This means that no middle school student should be driving in the proximity, onto, or within the school campus, any motorized vehicle, including scooters as the Thai driving age is 15yrs old. All riders and passengers, either on a bicycle or on a motorcycle or scooter, must be wearing a helmet.

3.  Bus Regulations:  Students using ISB bus/van transportation on a daily basis, or students using these services on an occasional basis (such as during field trips) are expected to wear their seatbelt at all times, remain in their seat while the bus/van is in motion, maintain appropriate behavior at all times, follow any rules posted in the bus/van, and to follow any direction given by the bus monitor, driver, or teacher(s) present. Thinking of the safety of all passengers, any behavior or action, which may cause distraction of the driver, will not be tolerated.

4.  Cell/Mobile Phone:  For students, use is only allowed before school, after school, or with a teacher’s special permission. During the school day (between 7:20 and 2:05 on regular days, or 7:20 and 1:00 on an Early Dismissal Tuesdays), phones should be either put on silent mode or turned off, and left in your locker until after school.  If you need to make a phone call home, you should be doing so through the phone in the MS Office.

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